Do you use your Buddhism understandings at work?

Mindfull

I am apart of a sales state management team looking after young managers in retail stores. I used to be stressed and had a problem trusting others to do there jobs. Now since I have been following the Buddhism path, my job is so less stressful and I now coach the team with compassion. I don't do this job for recognition, I just love watching young managers and there staff grow and have respect for one another.

Anyone else want to share?

Tosh

Yes, I try to use Buddhist teachings in everything I do, when I remember that is. At work, I try not to be tetchy with awkward customers, I try to be honest; I try to practise 'giving and taking', I try to be mindful, I try to be kind. If I'm disturbed, I'll have a dig about my spiritual tool kit and see if I can find something to undisturbed me. Some days I'm better than others, but it is a practise.

I have also been taught that compassion (or rather Boddhichitta) should be the motivation for everything we do. For example, even if we go to the pictures to watch a film, that could be done with the intent to have compassion for others. How? We need relaxation so we don't burn out; if we're burnt out, we're no use to anyone.

So yes, at work, rest, or play, I try to use Buddhist teachings when I'm mindful enough.

sallylou

Im a support worker for a young adult with autism spectrum disorder (specifically aspergers). Her view on buddhism is "ha ha - ommm", so i try to disguise some ideas and objectives into her every day life. this is especially difficult as she has a very 'attatching' personality (to objects and people). i can see how much happier she could be if she could only think about giving up attaining material things, and find genuine happiness.... but for now i just try and guide her in a healthy direction, away from obsession with materialism....
I do also find this job quite stressfull, i often struggle with finding compassion and practising right speech...! But yoga, meditation, and talking to other buddhists helps :-) x

vinlyn

Before retiring, I was a middle school principal. When I would prepare for a conference I thought would be difficult, I would first prepare all the information I might need, then I would prepare emotionally with some meditation/"right thought" thinking. It might only be 5 minutes, but it did help me.

lamaramadingdong

I do a lot of work with dysfunctional teams and function as a facilitator for meetings, many of which have the potential to get quite ugly. A few years ago I came up with this and have used it at meetings where I think it would be helpful (and it is):
The Buddha’s Meeting Ground Rules
• Do not speak unless it improves on silence.
• Things are not what they appear to be: nor are they otherwise.
• If you know anything that is helpful and true, find the right time. Desist from impetuous speech. Think about it first, make sure that it will be helpful and that it is also true and that the right time has come. The right time has come when the other person is agreeable to listening and in a peaceful frame of mind. It should be at a time when you have loving feelings for the other person. Use this whenever you want to tell others what they should and shouldn’t do.
• Serenity and calm develop as we learn to accept imperfection in others as well as ourselves.
• Don’t believe everything you think.
• Every moment is an opportunity to begin again.
• Happy endings are extremely unreliable. Happy nows are reliable.
• Look closely: your judgments are never really about another; they’re always about you!
• Recognize that in a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.

karasti

I practice it as often as I can, right now I'm a stay at home mom and I need all the peace and patience I can get, lol Prior to deciding to stay home, I did tech support. I wish I had been at a place in my life to us Buddhist practice then, it would have helped immensely with my frustration in dealing with people who couldn't read or didn't speak good English or whatever.

@sallylou-my 15 year old son also has AS. He took a liking to Buddhism about a year ago, and grasps it quite well now. He has little emotional attachment to most people and because he doesn't feel the normal ramifications that others usually do, he seems to have an easier time with certain parts of the practice. Meditation is quite hard for him. He does it daily but still has a hard time. Not only is his mind busy but he verbalizes every thought he has. It's very hard to train him away from telling us every thought without making him feel like his thoughts don't matter. I don't really have anything to add, just sharing a similar experience. I know very well the attachment and obsession that you speak of.

Theswingisyellow

The whole experience of life is the path, work is absolutely no exception. In fact in my field of work (ER nurse) mindfulness is essential for not only caring for my patients for all the ego, the drama and stress seen in this field. Functioning in the present moment in my field allows me to deal with a vast array of physical and emotinal issues that may arise in a given day. It is quite beneficial and liberating. I don't predicate a good day on being not being too busy or having few problems arise, for me a good day is when I can maintain my awareness despite any circumstances.

JohnG

very much; I 'm a cop. But, it's easy with those who I have deal with on the job. It's more difficult and needful with supervisors and administration. :shake:

DairyLama

It's more difficult and needful with supervisors and administration. :shake:

Isn't that always the way?

vinlyn

It's more difficult and needful with supervisors and administration. :shake:

Isn't that always the way?

As a former administrator, you've exactly got it backwards.

Mindfull

I do a lot of work with dysfunctional teams and function as a facilitator for meetings, many of which have the potential to get quite ugly. A few years ago I came up with this and have used it at meetings where I think it would be helpful (and it is):
The Buddha’s Meeting Ground Rules
• Do not speak unless it improves on silence.
• Things are not what they appear to be: nor are they otherwise.
• If you know anything that is helpful and true, find the right time. Desist from impetuous speech. Think about it first, make sure that it will be helpful and that it is also true and that the right time has come. The right time has come when the other person is agreeable to listening and in a peaceful frame of mind. It should be at a time when you have loving feelings for the other person. Use this whenever you want to tell others what they should and shouldn’t do.
• Serenity and calm develop as we learn to accept imperfection in others as well as ourselves.
• Don’t believe everything you think.
• Every moment is an opportunity to begin again.
• Happy endings are extremely unreliable. Happy nows are reliable.
• Look closely: your judgments are never really about another; they’re always about you!
• Recognize that in a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.

Can you pass this on to our leaders of the world

ozen

I do a lot of sitting at work.

JohnG

It's more difficult and needful with supervisors and administration. :shake:

Isn't that always the way?

As a former administrator, you've exactly got it backwards.

:wtf:

Bunks

A buddhist monk once said to me that if you are having difficulty with a person at work then ask yourself "How would you feel if what that person was doing was being done by someone you love?"

I didn't think that much about it at the time but I have since had a couple of occasions where someone has sent me an e-mail that would have previously upset me but I have then imagined it was from my darling daughter. It has then completely changed the way I felt about the situation and has actually caused compassion for the person to arise in my heart.

It's a beautiful thing....

how

If I ever get smug about my training, there is nothing like driving in the city to awaken me from that delusion.
I find that imagining that the F-Wit in front of me is really my 84 year old mother does help foster some missing patience.

Mountains

Do you use your Buddhism understandings at work?

Abso-freakin-lootley!

ozen

Yes I do too! Just the other day my boss asked why I was late on a project and I said, "Dude!, you're precious project doesn't exist in REALITY. It's just a projection of your deluded mind."